According to Statistics Canada, the median sentences for sexual assault and for other sexual offenses are both 360 days. To compare, the median sentence for robbery is 540 days. This seems deeply flawed—to violently steal property is given more weight in sentencing than to violate the sexual integrity of another human being.

I went to the StatsCan link and found sentencing data by province for 2006/2007. Here, for example, is the table for BC.

Now, if I haven't goofed up the math, it appears that BC has a significantly higher rate of conditional sentencing for sexual assault than either Canada overall or Ontario.

In BC, there were 187 convictions for sexual assault: 68 of those resulted in prison time, 48 in conditional sentences, and 102 in probation.

2 comments:

Over at Dr Dawg's blogpost about Alves, I left a comment in the combox about the incompetence of the police with regard to the preparation of the case against him. It's been claimed that the Sergeant heading the Sexual Offenses Squad that investigated the complaint against Alves that ultimately went to trial was removed from that job because he was openly hostile to the complainant. I can't help but wonder how that affected the collection of evidence.

In other news, a Winnipeg ex-cop has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for a premeditated sex attack on his terminally ill ex-wife. "The victim is living with lifelong horror," Crown attorney Tania Holland told court in describing the July 2008 attack, which came after the man had already been arrested five previous times since 2006 for breaching a protection order the victim obtained against him. "These were sadistic, cruel and vicious acts he committed against her. And it was all planned."

Besides the lenient sentencing (if any) why are sex offenders allowed back out in the public so early when there is extremely high chance of them "re-offending"? Seeing as how they can not be rehabilitated which is a proven fact! The laws will only change when we the public stand up and do something about it. I am from Calgary and you should see the violent sex offenders being let back into society...but at least they let us know I guess...one guy violently raped a women and slit her throat and all he served was 5.5 years ....which just happened to be the MAX sentence he recieved for this crime - disgusting!

I was under the impression that according to Bill C-127 (passed in 1983)there were higher maximums sentences....but what do I know, I get my info off the internet :)